Going through papers after moving I came across something that was surprisingly relevant to our time.March 20, 2012 I dreamed last night that someone stole my car. And then I dreamed what the meaning of the dream was. And then I dreamed about writing this. So here it is – I dreamed last night that someone stole my car. Actually they didn’t so much steal it as they took it apart and hauled it off piece by piece; while I was in a meeting for several hours. I came out from the meeting and couldn’t find it. Someone pointed me to the few pieces still there that they were finishing taking apart and driving off with. The folks in the neighborhood had an interesting time watching them dismantle it, but didn’t bother to ask about or challenge what they were doing. I asked the people taking my car if I could get a few papers that were still there and they said “OK.” They seemed to figure that there wasn’t anything I could do to stop them. I managed to write down a license number and called the police but they really weren’t interested. I know, it’s one of those weird dreams. And then I dreamed about the meaning of the dream. We live in a time when no matter how much or how completely something belongs to you, there is always someone, somewhere who thinks they have a right to take it from you. Jobs, possessions, property, reputation; everything is fair game. We in the Church are the last line of defense, because we are the last ones who say there are absolutes; absolute truths, absolute right, and absolute wrong. That’s why churches are under assault, religion is belittled and people of faith are mocked. If we are swept out of the way then anything goes, anything can be taken, and anything can be enforced. In such a world truth will not matter, but simply how many people or how big a crowd you can work up into taking something from someone else. In such a world the only safe place is to be with the crowd, and if that sounds to you like some of the worst episodes in human history, then you know why the dream would not fade. A time is coming (or is it already here?) when we will have to take a side. You cannot stand in the middle and hope to get along without ending up on the side of evil. That is the universal witness of human history. We in the Church are training up our young people and telling them to stand for the truth and stand with the words and teaching of Jesus. That is a dangerous thing. But it is not as dangerous as failing to stand with the one person in all human history who actually is the Truth. Read Hebrews 11:1 – 12:17